I will be the first to admit it; I am an unabashed creature of convenience.

I can honestly say many of the decisions I make on a daily basis are based solely on what’s either convenient at the time or in the immediate future. If it’s quick, easy and painless, I’m far more apt to do something than if it requires forethought, planning and effort. This convenience credo largely determines facets of my life ranging from how much sleep I get at night to my personal habits and what I might eat for lunch or dinner on any given day.

Sadly, I’m neither an aberration or anomaly, and my actions merely stand as a testament to entire industries built around the goal of making life simpler, easier and more efficient. There’s a price to be paid for many human conveniences, however, and it’s only after years of ignorant bliss that many corporations, and the people buying into them, are beginning to see this.

After years of offering questionable burgers, greasy fries and whatever the hell a McNugget might be made from, McDonald’s has started scaling back its “food” in an attempt to combat widespread obesity. Instead of supersized fries, customers can now supplement otherwise atrociously unhealthy meals with an apple or munch a salad in place of a burger.

This is all well and good except the only real virtue of McDonald’s, and the entire fast food industry for that matter, is its convenience. People aren’t eating in any of the world’s billions of McDonald’s restaurants for the quality of service, the exquisite taste of the food or the winning decor. They’re there because McDonald’s is quick, easy and convenient if you don’t have the time or fortitude to cook a meal that isn’t built upon the nutritional pillars of salt and fat; and that’s not a bad reason to be there either.

Fast food is a convenience, just like many others created to make life simpler and easier. And no one should be able to blame the creators a said convenience for any damage incurred. There’s a price to be paid, large or small, for every convenience incurred in life. You can’t expect to cut a corner without a consequence, and you can’t blame personal sloth on the creators of beloved conveniences. We’ve all brought this on ourselves… or maybe it’s just me.

Fast food is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg, however. If you want to get a jump on your day, you can now use soap with caffeine already in it that can absorb into your skin as you wash to give a morning shower a little extra kick. If you need a caffeine fix but don’t want the calories from a soda, you can now get extra energy from caffeinated water. It’s even possible to fix sugar cravings with a shampoo currently in development that, when used, sends chemicals to your brain similar to that of a sugar rush.

The list of personal conveniences is endless and it’s not simply food or drink. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Philip Morris finds a way to put vitamin C or calcium in cigarettes so you’re killing yourself while getting your vitamins as well.

There is a price to be paid for all of life’s conveniences from getting fat off fast food to developing a caffeine addiction or simply getting lazy.

It’s unfair to blame anyone but yourself from these side effects and the products themselves shouldn’t change simply because those who use them aren’t responsible with them.